FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a conventional binding tool for binding and mounting a bundle of cables.
A binding tool 101 comprises a binding stay 102 and a tightener 103, which are respectively made of an elastically recoverable plastic material.
The binding stay 102 comprises a bottom portion 104 and two arm portions 105 extending from both ends of the bottom portion 104 vertically and in parallel with each other. The bottom portion 104 and the arm portions 105 make a U-shaped structure. A securing hole 106 is formed at the central part of the bottom portion 104. Sawtooth-like notches 107 are formed on the opposed outside faces of the arm portions 105.
Two engaging holes 108 are located in the tightener 103 which is in the shape of a flat plate. The engaging holes 108 are inserted over the arm portions 105 and resiliently engage the sawtooth-like notches 107.
In order to use such a binding tool 101, the bottom portion 104 is first secured, with a bolt or screw inserted into the securing hole 106, to position on a body to be secured to (not shown), such as a chassis, panel and a stay of a cable distributor rack. The binding tool 101 is thus secured to the body.
Subsequently, a bundle of cables to be bound (not shown) is set on the inside of a U shape and the arm portions 105 are inserted into the engaging holes 108 of the tightener 103. In this state, each arm portion 105 extends vertically from the bottom portion 104 and the engaging holes 108 resiliently engage the sawtooth-like notches 107 to hold the tightener 103 at any notch defined position on the arm portions 105. Consequently, by adjusting the stop position of the tightener 103 relative to the arm portions 105, the bundle of cables is pressed and gripped between the inside of the U shape of the binding stay 102 and the lower face of the tightener 103. When the thickness of the bundle of cables is within a predetermined range (that is, the number of the cables is within a predetermined range), the bundle of cables can be bound and fixed without fail.
When the bundle of cables is to be unbound and released from the binding tool 101, the arm portions 105 are removed from the engaging holes 108 of the tightener 103 by carrying out the aforementioned operation in reverse order.
In this way, by using the binding tool 101, the number of cables to be bound and fixed can be increased or decreased simply and easily.
However, the conventional binding tool 101 has the following problems.
Firstly, when a bundle of cables to be bound is set on the inside of the U shape of the binding stay 102, it is necessary for the tightener 103 to be separated from each arm portion 105. There is accordingly a risk of losing the separated tightener 103 during the operation.
Secondly, the resilient force of each arm portion 105 vertical to the opposed face is set at such a degree that the sawtooth-like notches 107 and the inside face of each engaging hole 108 are securely engaged with each other, the tightener 103 is stopped at any position on each arm portion 105 and is not moved easily. Accordingly, when each engaging hole 108 of the tightener 103 is inserted over or removed from each arm portion 105, it is necessary for an operator to pinch and move the tightener 103 with one hand, while the resilient force is released by pinching and bending inwardly the arm portions 105 with the other hand. Therefore, both hands must be used during the binding and unbinding operations for the bundle of cables, which makes operability poor. The operability is heavily aggravated, especially, when the binding tool 101 is secured in a narrow space.
Thirdly, when each engaging hole 108 of the tightener 103 is inserted over each arm portion 105, both ends of the tightener 103 protrude from both opposed outside faces of the arm portions 105. Therefore, when the binding tool 101 is secured to a body, enough spaces should be kept in both end areas of the tightener 103 for its protrusion from the opposed outside faces of the arm portions 105, and it is thus difficult to secure the binding tool 101 in a narrow space.